New Yorkers marvel at 'Manhattanhenge' sunset

July 12, 2012

New Yorkers gathered at dusk to witness "Manhattanhenge" -- a rare alignment of the sun with the east-west street grid in which it appears to set between skyscrapers.

Dozens of people gathered shortly before 8:30 pm Wednesday (0030 GMT Thursday) at the corner of 14th and Sixth Avenue, taking pictures of the huge red sun at the foot of the urban canyon formed by the buildings.

Manhattanhenge occurs twice during the Northern Hemisphere's summer -- in May and July -- and a partial Manhattanhenge is expected on Thursday. The phenomenon also occurs in winter but is often obscured by inclement weather.

The name Manhattanhenge alludes to Stonehenge, the prehistoric circle of large stones in southern Britain.

The sun crosses the central axis of Stonehenge during the summer and winter solstices, leading historians to theorize that the monument was used as an astronomical observatory.

From the grassy deserted plains of southern England rises a circle of standing stones, some of them up to 24 feet tall. For centuries they have towered over visitors, offering tantalizing hints about their prehistoric past. ...

The tip of South Africa, Tasmania and most of New Zealand will -- weather permitting -- enjoy a partial eclipse of the Sun on Friday although the handful of hardy scientists in Antarctica will get the best view, according ...

(PhysOrg.com) -- Archaeologists led by the University of Birmingham with the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection have discovered evidence of two huge pits positioned on celestial alignment at Stonehenge. ...

After 10 years of archaeological investigations, researchers have concluded that Stonehenge was built as a monument to unify the peoples of Britain, after a long period of conflict and regional difference between eastern ...

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